The Life of Napoleon I (Volume 1 of 2) eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 610 pages of information about The Life of Napoleon I (Volume 1 of 2).

The Life of Napoleon I (Volume 1 of 2) eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 610 pages of information about The Life of Napoleon I (Volume 1 of 2).

[Footnote 219:  The British notes of April 28th and May 8th, 1803, again demanded a suitable indemnity for the King of Sardinia.]

[Footnote 220:  See his letters of January 28th, 1801, February 27th, March 10th, March 25th, April 10th, and May 16th, published in a work, “Bonaparte, Talleyrand et Stapfer” (Zuerich, 1869).]

[Footnote 221:  Daendliker, “Geschichte der Schweiz,” vol. iii., p. 418; Muralt’s “Reinhard,” p. 55; and Stapfer’s letter of April 28th:  “Malgre cette apparente neutralite que le gouvernement francais declare vouloir observer pour le moment, differentes circonstances me persuadent qu’il a vu avec plaisir passer la direction des affaires des mains de la majorite du Senat [helvetique] dans celles de la minorite du Petit Conseil.”]

[Footnote 222:  Garden, “Traites,” vol. viii., p. 10.  Mr. Merry, our charge d’affaires at Paris, reported July 21st; “M.  Stapfer makes a boast of having obtained the First Consul’s consent to withdraw the French troops entirely from Switzerland.  I learn from some well-disposed Swiss who are here that such a consent has been given; but they consider it only as a measure calculated to increase the disturbances in their country and to furnish a pretext for the French to enter it again.”]

[Footnote 223:  Reding, in a pamphlet published shortly after this time, gave full particulars of his interviews with Bonaparte at Paris, and stated that he had fully approved of his (Reding’s) federal plans.  Neither Bonaparte nor Talleyrand ever denied this.]

[Footnote 224:  See “Paget Papers,” vol. ii., despatches of October 29th, 1802, and January 28th, 1803.]

[Footnote 225:  Napoleon avowed this in his speech to the Swiss deputies at St. Cloud, December 12th, 1802.]

[Footnote 226:  Lord Hawkesbury’s note of October 10th, 1802, the appeal of the Swiss, and the reply of Mr. Moore from Constance, are printed in full in the papers presented to Parliament, May 18th, 1803.

The Duke of Orleans wrote from Twickenham a remarkable letter to Pitt, dated October 18th, 1802, offering to go as leader to the Swiss in the cause of Swiss and of European independence:  “I am a natural enemy to Bonaparte and to all similar Governments....England and Austria can find in me all the advantages of my being a French prince.  Dispose of me, Sir, and show me the way.  I will follow it.”  See Stanhope’s “Life of Pitt,” vol. iii., ch. xxxiii.]

[Footnote 227:  See Roederer, “OEuvres,” vol. iii., p. 454, for the curious changes which Napoleon prescribed in the published reports of these speeches; also Stapfer’s despatch of February 3rd, 1803, which is more trustworthy than the official version in Napoleon’s “Correspondance.”  This, however, contains the menacing sentence:  “It is recognized by Europe that Italy and Holland, as well as Switzerland, are at the disposition of France.”]

[Footnote 228:  It is only fair to say that they had recognized their mistake and had recently promised equality of rights to the formerly subject districts and to all classes.  See Muralt’s “Reinhard,” p. 113.]

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The Life of Napoleon I (Volume 1 of 2) from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.